UPDATED: Idaho sprouts grower linked to E. coli outbreak

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has linked an Idaho sprouts grower to an E. coli outbreak.

In the time frame prior to the outbreak, Moyie, Idaho-based Evergreen Sprouts LLC supplied raw clover sprouts to seven restaurants at which nine people became ill from E. coli 0121, according to the June 10 FDA report.

The restaurants are in Washington and Idaho and include Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Pita Pit and Daanen’s Deli.

Dave Scharf, Evergreen’s owner, does not think his company is responsible for the outbreak.

“All the tests that have come back have been negative,” Scharf said. “If they’re all negative, it has to be something else, doesn’t it?”

Tests not only at Evergreen, but also at Jimmy John’s, came back negative, Scharf said.

Sprout sales at Evergreen were down about 50% as a result of the investigation, Scharf said. He said it will take the company six months to a year to fully recover.

As of June 9, 17 people in Washington, Idaho, Michigan, Montana and Utah were infected with E. coli 0121, according to the report. Almost half were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.

Twelve of the 14 people sickened reported eating raw clover sprouts in the week before becoming ill.

Scharf said that’s not proof that the sprouts made them sick.

“I have no idea. I wasn’t there, I didn’t watch their eating habits before they got sick. Based on nine peoples’ faulty memories, they think, ‘It has to be sprouts.’”

In addition to linking Evergreen to the outbreak, the FDA made several discoveries in three inspections at the company in May and June:

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About the Author:

Andy Nelson, markets editor

Andy Nelson joined The Packer as a staff writer in 2001. He became the paper's Handling & Distributing editor in 2005 and markets editor in 2006. Before joining Farm Journal Media, Nelson was a staff writer for The Kansas City Star.